Spool holder

ABSTRACT

A spool holding device has a ring body made of a soft material which is to expand and contract diametrically and is sandwiched between a main body and a head body. A holder shaft is inserted through the tube body, the main body, and the head body, and has a spring associated therewith for constantly urging the bodies toward each other. The arrangement is such that only when a fixing pin on said holder shaft and a lever on the main body are disengaged can the head body and the main body be moved toward each other to expand the diameter of the ring body.

United States Patent Kawamura 51 Aug. 15, 1972 [54] SPOOL HOLDER [72]Inventor: Shuzo Kawamura, Kyoto, Japan 22 Filed: Oct. 2, 1970 [21]Appl.No.: 77,405

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 11, 1969 Japan ..44/9695l[52] US. Cl ..242/ 129.5, 242/72 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65h 49/00, DOlh 7/16[58] Field of Search ..242/l29.5-l30,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,616,631 11/1952 Bauer..242/l30 2,981,496 4/1961 Harmon et al ..242/l29.8 3,276,718 10/1966Binford ..242/129.5 3,462,092 8/1969 Mullins... ..242/46.4

Primary Examiner-Leonard D. Christian Attorney-Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack[57] ABSTRACT A spool holding device has a ring body made of a softmaterial which is to expand and contract diametrically and is sandwichedbetween a main body and a head body. A holder shaft is inserted throughthe tube body, the main body, and the head body, and has a springassociated therewith for constantly urging the bodies toward each other.The arrangement is such that only when a fixing pin on said holder shaftand a lever on the main body are disengaged can the head body and themain body be moved toward each other to expand the diameter of the ringbody.

.0 m Drawing. i u

PATENTEDAus 15 m2 gtaqtzta Inventor SHUZO KAWAMURA SPOOL HOLDER Thisinvention relates to a spool holder which, upon insertion of a spoolonto the spool holder to hold the spool at its centerline region, iscaused to be increased in its diameter to establish close contactbetween the inner diameter of the spool and the outer diameter of thespool holder, thereby supporting the spool.

Air spinning machine-produced spools which have recently been put intofrequent use, in their normal wound state, are in the form of a stubcylinder the diameter of which is two to three times as large as itsheight. As a result, methods based on the conventional spindle-shapedfull bobbin produced by the conventional spinning machine can not beemployed to hold air spinning machine-produced spools.

Accordingly, this invention provides a spool holder the diameter ofwhich is adapted to be expanded only when inserted into the paper bobbinof a spool to hold the spool only at its axis centerline so as to makeit possible to firmly grip such spool, no matter what outer diameterthey may have.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described withreference to the drawing which is alongitudinal section of a spoolholder embodying this invention.

A holder part A comprises a main body 1, a ring body 2 and a head body3. The main body 1 has a tube body 4 fixed to the centerline regionthereof and is provided with a cut 5 formed in the upper surface and ataper portion 6 on the lower surface. In the cut 5, a lever 9 having anend claw 8 is pivotally mounted on a pin 7. The numeral 10 denotes aspring constantly urging the lever 9 in a counterclockwise direction.The tube body 4 is provided with elongated openings 11 and 12. Theelongated opening 11 is adapted to permit the ingress and egress of theclaw 8 of lever 9 therethrough,

and the elongated opening 12 to slidably receive thepin 14 of a holdershaft 13 slidably fitted in the tube body 4. The head body 3 has a taperportion 15 on the top and is fixed to the lower end of the holder shaft13. The ring body 2 is fitted in an annular recess between the head body3 and the main body 1. The ring body 2 is made of a soft deformablematerial such as rubber or synthetic resin. 'As shown in the drawing, anannular recess 2a may be formed in the inner peripheral surface of ring2. A spring 17 is inserted onto the upper end 16 of the holder shaft 13and a spring retainer collar 18 is fitted to the upper end portion ofthe holder shaft, whereby the holder shaft 13 and the tube body 4 areconstantly urged to move away from each other. The numerals 19 and 20denote endless chains for supporting the tube body 4, which endlesschains will be attached to the tube body when it is necessary to movethe spool holder. The numeral 21 denotes a roll which rolls on a bracket22. The numeral 23 denotes a spool. Claw 8 of lever 9, spring 10 and pin14 operate as a means for latching main body 1 and head body 3 in spacedrelation to retain ring body 2 in an unexpanded state, but which isreleasable upon engagement with spool 23. 7

Suppose that the spool 23 is to be inserted onto the holder part A. Theaxis of the spool 23 and the axis of the holder shaft 13 are broughtinto alignment with each other and the spool 23 is then inserted ontothe holder part A from below. In this case, since the spool 23 pushesthe end of the lever 9 in a clockwise direction against the resilientforce of the spring 10, the engagement between the fixing pin 14 and theclaw 8 of the lever is destroyed resulting in the upward movement of theholder shaft 13 and hence the upward movement of the head body 3 fixedto the holder shaft 13. Thus the ring body of soft material iscompressed between the taper portion 6 of the main body 1 and the taperportion 15 of the head body 3. As a result, the ring body bulgesoutwardly to have its outer diameter increased into close contact withthe bobbin innerdiameter, thereby gripping the bobbin. Reversely, whenit is desired to release the bobbin from its gripped state, this isachieved by pushing down the front end 16 of the holder shaft 13 againstthe force of the spring 17 to cause the fixing pin to be moveddownwardly below 'the claw 8 of the lever 9 which is constantly urgedcounterclockwise, and then removing the downward force on the front .end16 of the holder shaft 13, whereupon the holder shaft 13 and hence thefixing pin 14 tend to move upwardly under the action of the spring 17.However, this upward movement is prevented overcome since the fixing pin14 again engages the claw 8 of the lever 9.

At this time, since there is a suitable clearance between the head body3 and the main body 1, the ring body 2 is not compressed and, the itsouter diameter does not contact the inner diameter of the spool 23, withthe result that the spool 23 is released from the holder part A.

If there is the need to transfer the spool in its held state, the chains19 and 20 may be suitably moved to move the tube body 4 by supportingthe latter by the roll 21 rolling on the bracket 22.

As has been described above, since the supporting and releasing of abobbin can be carried out by the engagement and disengagement of theholder shaft 13 and the lever installed in the cut in the main body, thebobbin can be supported by simply inserting it onto the holder part Aand, when it is desired to release it, this can be achieved by simplygiving a downward push to the holder 13. At any rate, the supporting andreleasing of a bobbin can be achieved in one touch operation.

Further, since the main body and the head body have a taper cut therein,the ring body will deform along such tapers, and since the force ofdeformation is determined by the spring 17, a suitable pressure forsupporting a spool can be easily obtained. Thus, even with a single ringbody, a sufficient holding force can be obtained. Therefore, even abobbin whose diameter is two to three times as large as its height canbe simply supported. Moreover, there will be no danger of causing damageto the inner surface of the bobbin.

What I claim is:

1. A spool holding device, comprising a main body and head body disposedin axial alignment and defining therebetween an annular recess, a ringof soft deformable material disposed in said recess, means tending tobias said main and head bodies axially toward each other so as toaxially compress and radially expand said ring, and means for latchingsaid main and head bodies in spaced relation so as to retain said ringin a released state, said latching means being releasable uponengagement with a spool when the spool is received over said main andhead bodies.

2. A spool holding device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ring has anannular recess at the inner peripheral surface thereofr 3. A spoolholding device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a tube, one endof which extends through and is attached to said main body; a shaft, oneend of which is attached to said head body and the other end of whichextends through and beyond the other end of said tube; and said biasingmeans comprising a spring retainer secured to said other end of saidshaft and a spring mounted between said retainer and said other end ofsaid tube to urge said main and head bodies toward each other.

4. A spool holding device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said ring is formed of rubber.

5. A spool holding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ring isformed of resilient synthetic resin.

6. A spool holding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said latchingmeans comprises an elongated opening in said tube; a pin in said shaftextending into said elongated opening; a lever pivoted in a recess insaid main body, said lever having an arm extending beyond the peripheryof said main body for engagement by said spool, and a claw projectingthrough said elongated opening; and a spring mounted to bias said leversuch that said claw projects through said elongated opening for latchingengagement with said pin.

1. A spool holding device, comprising a main body and head body disposedin axial alignment and defining therebetween an annular recess, a ringof soft deformable material disposed in said recess, means tending tobias said main and head bodies axially toward each other so as toaxially compress and radially expand said ring, and means for latchingsaid main and head bodies in spaced relation so as to retain said ringin a released state, said latching means being releasable uponengagement with a spool when the spool is received over said main andhead bodies.
 2. A spool holding device as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid ring has an annular recess at the inner peripheral surface thereof.3. A spool holding device as claimed in claim 1, furthEr comprising atube, one end of which extends through and is attached to said mainbody; a shaft, one end of which is attached to said head body and theother end of which extends through and beyond the other end of saidtube; and said biasing means comprising a spring retainer secured tosaid other end of said shaft and a spring mounted between said retainerand said other end of said tube to urge said main and head bodies towardeach other.
 4. A spool holding device as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid ring is formed of rubber.
 5. A spool holding device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said ring is formed of resilient synthetic resin.
 6. Aspool holding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said latching meanscomprises an elongated opening in said tube; a pin in said shaftextending into said elongated opening; a lever pivoted in a recess insaid main body, said lever having an arm extending beyond the peripheryof said main body for engagement by said spool, and a claw projectingthrough said elongated opening; and a spring mounted to bias said leversuch that said claw projects through said elongated opening for latchingengagement with said pin.